Personally I like shorter lines because they fit my riding style, which is upright on the board rather than leaned way out over the water. Also, in high winds I like having the sail closer to me, makes transitions easier and I have more arm length available to make big adjustments in the gusty winds of the gorge.

I used to have long lines, I switched to 20"'s because I didn't like the feel of having my sail so far away. So part is boiled down to personal preference.

The other part is mechanical, if you have your lines set close together then you need shorter lines to give you the same distance from the boom as longer lines set further apart. Lines set further apart = more stability, closer together = quicker/more adjustment.

Shorter lines make you use your arms, while longer lines you can use your arms more, and often do.
While 22" is short for someone your size, maybe you have adopted the JasonVoss slalom stance, over the AntoineAlbeu long line stance.

Your best answer is to buy a new or used pair of adjustable lines and play around. I find that conditions dictate line length as much as anything else. On 3.7 days a longer line takes up some of the force of the gust similar to a soft luft sleeve making it less likely to get tossed. Conversely, on a 5.3 day I want and need to lean back to get some speed and planing happening more quickly. Your stance and base position also have to come into play because it is all about the geometry, hence the reason to buy an adjustable before converting to a single length. Also consider what someone wrote earlier - the single-loop lines will give you a much truer length whereas the two-loop lines can be made much shorter with a wider placement on the boom. If you fall into the wider category, you will not be getting the full length of the line when compared to a single-loop style.

I am under 5'5 and use 22's. I like to have the mobility to maneauver in the harness and you can only do that with longer lines. I see too many sailors with short lines all scrunched up and think how uncomfortable they are with the sail kind of on top of them instead of arms stretched out, etc. etc. If you are in any kind of swell - the long lines will help tremendously. You're tall so you could easily go to 26-28. Ask Matt Pritchard - he is gold on performance and recommendations. I'll bet he is riding with 28-30's.

Ask Matt Pritchard - he is gold on performance and recommendations. I'll bet he is riding with 28-30's.

Right on. I am 5'9" and Matt recommends 26" for me but I like 24" better. I have the lines 4 to 5 inches apart. I use them both in the Maui waves and in the gorge. Makes it much easier to slog and get in and out of them in the waves both for riding and jumping. You take a lesson from Matt and he wants you away from the boom, not eating it.

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